We have the pasar malam (night market) every night here in the heart of Sibu town but no, you would not find me there as parking is such a problem and I would have to park far away and walk all the way there by which time I would be perspiring like hell, completely drenched and feeling so hot and uncomfortable that I would not be in the mood to buy or eat anything…and I have not even started walking around the entire place yet. That was what I told my friend, Philip, home from the US at the time, when he told me that there are some local/Sibu/Foochow delights available there…and that very nice man actually went and bought some of the stuff for me!
There was this eyew chang koi (fried shallot cake)…
…that was really so very beautifully done. I remember the ones we used to love so very much when I was younger. There was somebody selling this, steamed in small metal bowls, by the side of the Lido Cinema. He or she would take the bamboo spatula and cut lines in it, patterned in a grid of little squares, sprinkle the fried shallots onto it and then pour the nice sauce all over it. Gosh!!! That was so so good and how much did that cost then? 10 sen only, I think…or was it 5?
Then there were these chai peah and ban chien koi…
…that were so very nice too. I know the guy who makes the latter (top)…
In the afternoons at around 4.00 p.m., he would set up his stall in the open space/parking area in between the two blocks of shops in the next lane to the one where I stay and later in the evening, he would pack up and move to the pasar malam to continue his trade there. I do wish he would start selling earlier as I usually would have my tea at around 3 as 4.00 p.m. would be rather late already and I would not want to spoil my appetite for dinner at around 6.00 p.m. Yes, I am very regimented and will stick steadfastly to my schedule.
Anyway, back to what Philip got for me, there were also these…
…or koi (yam cake), fried sio bee (meat dumpling) and stuffed kompia. The latter two were good but I think the former sure deserves special mention. I used to buy the or koi at a stall at Rejang Park – they were superb many many years ago but lately, it has gone all soft and wobbly, probably the result of too much flour and too little yam and as if that is not bad enough, it has become so very expensive. These were so good that since I was in the vicinity of the night market the following day…
…I thought of getting some more for Melissa to take back to her jungle school to heat up on one of the days in the week and enjoy. This is just a small section of it, mostly the Chinese stalls selling non-halal food…
…and drinks and it stretches right to the very end…
There are also those sections selling halal stuff like satay and so on and also those stalls selling handbags, wallets, clothes and others.
Now, this was where the problem started – there were many stalls selling the same things so which exactly did Philip get the or koi from? Was it this one that was so very popular…
…that the moment the things left the hot wok, they would be snapped up instantly by the customers?
Or was it from this one…
…where I thought the things looked quite similar?
I remember the ones that Philip bought were placed in paper bags before going into the plastic bags so there I went, peering into everybody’s purchases to see if there were any paper bags used but before I could find any like that, the skies opened and the rain came pouring down VERY heavily so I had to run for shelter and my hunt for the elusive or koi came to an untimely end…
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I am different from you, I hate going to the pasar malam. It was so difficult to find parking and I also kena diarrhea after consuming the food there , nearby my place. On the other hand, I think your first pix is chee cheong fun or rather looks like it. And, I like the pancake in the second pix. Yums! Seems like this pasar malam got lots of stuffs there. I also like the jagung!
Did I say I love going? Go back and read again. But looking at the crowd and the jam in the vicinity every evening, obviously a lot of people do. No reports of food poisoning at the one here or for sure, the municipal council would close it down but yes, I did not like the way the things are not covered. Best to buy only those things straight from the wok or pan.
And no, that’s not chee cheong fan but now that you mentioned it, it is probably made from the same ingredients – just not in thin sheets and folded, probably ours is the Foochow or Sibu version of it.
Our pasar malam is a tourist attraction, very big – this is just one small section of it – the Chinese, non-halal food…plus there are people who love going there to buy the imported beer, very very cheap… Wink! Wink! Not me though, I don’t drink…not anymore.
Chai Piah is vege-pancake? We don’t have them here, would love to try them out! p/s: i will be away for a short vacation, will blog hop again in 2 weeks time!
No? Oh??? I didn’t know that – I thought it’s available everywhere. Nothing much really, not something I would be dying for…but my girl loves them. She loved anything deep-fried. On my part, I would prefer cucur udang.
P.S.: Enjoy your vacation, see you when you get back. You sure deserve one after working very hard to achieve your dreams. No wonder I saw on Facebook you saying that your post on something would appear on the 28th… Not coming online while away – I usually would stay connected wherever I go.
I havent been to any night markets here. Like you, I hate the crowds, heat and parking. Hehe.
I will go for the sweet corn than kuih. Never really a kuih person. ^^
There’s only one and same here, hot and hard to find parking and when it’s crowded and noisy, my head will start spinning and I would want to go home. Old man like that lah! 😀
I really like the pig head stall! Haha! 🙂
I love pig’s ears, I wonder if Melissa can bring them back to her school. It should be no problem with Sarawak’s tolerance. The way things are going here is really bad, lots of politics. I still like Sarawak where halal and non halal stalls can be together and people of different races can eat at the same table. It’s so different here.
LOL!!! Most people would find it shocking, I’m sure but yes, you would not get to see this over at that side. No, Melissa will only bring halal stuff…or none that is explicitly non-halal as she had a Muslim housemate. Though she had left, my girl will still do the same in case another one moves in and they will need to clean up the place with mud and what not.
I think the Muslims will come rampaging through the stalls if it were over here. Haha.
That’s really considerate of Melissa! I don’t want to foment dissent but it seems like we’re always the ones being considerate and careful while the other side can do what they want, especially over here. There’s always something happening and the worst is in schools – students told to eat in toilets during Ramadan, teachers threatening and boycotting a student who liked an Israeli page etc. No tolerance.
Probably a sense of insecurity or superiority over there. I may be over-sensitive but I do sense this thing even among the same races towards those from over here. I guess it’s not so bad here…and in fact, they are all very nice people, most of them. Melissa have great, very helpful colleagues, thankfully, so do unto others what you would want others do unto you.
I don’t like parking either! I’d be like you and stay away.
Especially in a small town like ours. So many cars, at least two or three every household and our roads are short and narrow and spaces for parking are so limited. 😦
In my case I take the bus, so parking isn’t an issue. Love your photos!
No bus service mostly here – except for a few designated places. Not much business, I guess. Most would ply inter-towns.
I wondered the guy that smile at you in the picture, did you ask before you take picture of him? because sometimes when I want to take this kind of picture, I always scared the person might not like it and scold back duh!
I think he’s used to it – I’ve seen him in other blogs too.
Pasar malam every day? It’s fun for the visitors, nightmare for the people who live nearby
Yes, ours here is nightly. They close the whole triangle by evening for the hawkers to set up the stalls. Business should be really good, I think as I know many have stalls elsewhere but by evening, they would move here and continue their trade.
My brother tony will never miss this place whenever he is in town . He loves the u Chang koi , the apong balik , the thin wafer type with lots of peanuts n not to mention the tian pian hu stall in the alleyway . Very nostalgic for those who hv been away from home . Betty n family will buy the u Chang koi quite often.
I truly enjoyed that – the one from there, really good. Bought once at the stall at Rejang Park, never bought again. Just not the same. Ummmm…the dianpianngu…no, thank you. 😀
wow.. all the very nice street food!! love that eyew chang koi (not eyewww at all, hahaha!!), chai peah and ban chien koi, also those or koi and stuffed kompia~~
You like? You’re not like Chris Au, so delicate his system…coming down with cirit birit after eating such things? Sometimes it may not be due to hygiene – at times, our system can’t handle oily stuff well…and all those deep-fried things are heaty actually.
I don’t think I have seen eyew chang koi before. Love chai peah but Ban chien koi, is it we call apam balik. I like the cripsy type. Or koi, definitely my choice, dip in chilli sauce and…nom…nom…nom…one after another.
Yup, ban chien koi is apam bailik and vice versa. Oh? No eyew chang koi there? Maybe it is a Sibu thing then? Hmmm…must bring people to try when they come to town then – can be a tourist attraction. Only in Sibu!
u ran?
Ok…ok…you got me there! I walked…a little bit faster than usual. Muahahahahahahaha!!!!
hahahahhaha!! This Wee Kean very naughty!
He is. Have to watch one’s words. He can catch them very quickly. Hehehehehe!!!!
Give me 5! I also seldom go to the pasar malam coz of the parking issues.. But when I manage to go there, I always buy the same stuffs: duck-egg char kuey teow, assam laksa, “chau lobak koh” (kueh kak) and same like yours, “ban chang kueh”.. We call it “tai kau min” in Cantonese.. Yummmzzz, I just love pasar malam food.. And not to mention those fried stuffs like fish balls and those sorts.. I would hold a few sticks and finish them while walking at the pasar malam, hahahaha..
Never been to any in KL, unless you include Jalan Pataling and Jalan Alor.. I hear the pasar malam moves here and there, different place every night. I did drop by the one at Prai though – very nice but not as busy as the one here or maybe we were early – one whole stretch of the road… https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/on-the-street-where-you-live/
Are those pigs’ snout I see at the non-halal stall? Hee..hee…they actually sell those? I like all the kueh up there. Goodness, it had to rain when it was convenient for you to be at the pasar malam. I guess it wasn’t be, eh? I am so glad to know that there is another regimented soul out there like me 🙂 I also like to keep up with my schedule.
Yes, I was waiting for somebody to pinpoint that out. I hear the locals especially the ethnic population, love it – great with beer or liquor. None for me though, thank you very much! Muahahahahaha!!!! I am pretty sure you can’t see anything of the sort over there – I hear at the market, the pork stalls are all walled up with just an obscure door and if one does not know, one would not know they’re selling that there. Here, it’s all in the open – everybody’s more tolerant of one another here. You do your thing, I do mine – just respect one another, stick to one’s boundaries.
ooo, it’ll be the jagung for me please! i love corn on the cob, freshly cooked and still steaming-hot, all juicy and sweet when you bite into it! 😀
We buy and cook our own – can get easily from a fruit and vegetable shop near my house. Sweet corn, or Ligo, some people call it. Getting rather pricey these days though.
At first look, i thought the first picture is chee cheong fun…
It is thick, made in a stainless steel bowl so when cut into cubes, it looks like ketupat served with satay, not like chee cheong fun but I do think it tastes like it.
Pasar malam nightly? That’s great! My area here.. once a week only.. I have to drive further away to another area for a bigger pasar malam, also once a week… I seldom go and once I do, I spend a lot.. so I prefer to stay put in my house after dinner.. eating extras and buying what is not really needed.. but once awhile, it is nice to go and update on the food and the latest trend otherwise will be Jakun like princess ribbon used to say…
The 2nd picture.. it is folded like the pancake we have over here… is it sweet or savory? The other time we missed the pasar malam.. but the kucing family went after we left..
The second picture – that’s apam balik., the thin and crispy version, which I prefer. Not so fond of the thick, rubbery ones – you can see both in the photo of the guy at his stall, 3rd photo. Ah yes!!! That’s another reason why I don’t frequent the pasar malam. By the time they start business, I would have had my dinner so no point going there to buy anything – too full already and not as nice if you keep to eat the next day. That time you came, I am pretty sure there were other things that you missed too. Hehehehehehe!!!!
I think the last pic is the one. I remember her freshly fried stuff is placed on racks at the back. Next time, ask if she can put the kuehs in paper bags. Nobody else does that. The ewe chang kueh lady only comes out after 6.30 pm, but worth while waiting for. I made a mistake the last time. I left the hot freshly fried chai peah in a bowl covered up and the next morning they were so soggy I had to toss them. I think you have to air those hot kuehs if you want to leave them overnight.
Oh? I will just put in the fridge, re-fry to heat up in a pan…or toast in the oven for a bit – not too long, either way, or they will become hard, not so nice. Ya…I thought the or kueh looked the same (and the fried sio bee too) but obviously, there were two types – one darker. I think that was the one you got for me. Ya…now that you’ve mentioned it, no wonder I did not see the eyew chang koi lady that evening but I did see her once when I dropped by there before.
Yes i still remember the pasar malam. Unique there is they sell oink oink at pasar malam. The sauce for dipping is different from over here
You bought? I’ve never done that. The time you went, it was in the old (original) place, I think – with the stall selling Christian religious articles – the cross and the statues overlooking the Malay BBQ chicken wings stall. That’s the way it is here – tolerant of one another, no problem at all.
Never been to Sibu pasar malam…Didn’t know there are so many good food too.
Can always go the next time you come to Sibu, different from the ones there – that’s for sure.
Only in Sibu. 😀 Bear in mind, that I must go to Pasar malam Sibu next time. 😜
Must try – Raja Simpang Tiga’s BBQ chicken wings and his kueh lenggang (ketayap) also very nice, white inti like how my mum used to make – he’s at Simpang Tiga but around 5 something, he would shift to the pasar malam. I had satay at one stall once, very good too.
Wah, the food sell in pasar malam there is very much different compared to here.
But I love ban chien kui, I love the original ones, instead of the pandan flavored.
Yes, I keep telling everybody, things are quite different here. Some say it’s not like we’re in the same country – worth a visit, can be very interesting, really. Oh? No pandan-flavoured ones here – just the originals – thin & crispy or thick and rubbery.
Awww…your post reminds me of stories known as tragedy. Your adventure has a tragic ending because of the rain.
LOL!!! I guess so but it’s ok. I can always go another day.
I just get to know that the dish in the first image is called as eyew chang koi.Ohh,I like it so much in my younger age even untill now!IThe gravy is absolutely silky and so delicious!I was invariably requesting my mum to buy it for me during last time and could not wait to feast on it just when I was back from school.But as time passed,the usual hawker(I’m not clear about the precise location)had halted his/her business.As the consequence,the really fascinating food is just lingering around my mind after then..
And yes,my mum told me that finding a parking place there is such a hassle so I never get to buy the ‘kui’ for a very long time(not many place is selling it I think)….
Yes, eyew chang = fried shallots so that is how it got its name. I enjoyed those I had when I was young(er) but I have not had any good ones since. However, I found this one really good – like what I had before except that the metal bowl is not the same. She uses a bigger/broader one so the eyew chang koi is thinner and wider. Tastes great so that’s all that matters. If you don’t mind walking, there are always parking spaces at the exhibition centre/1 Malaysia shop behind the Tua Pek Kong temple.
Wow, that’s quite a selection of food. The man, in the first picture looks very happy. 🙂
Yes, he’s very friendly and I guess he enjoys the publicity – free advertisement. 😀
Poor you! Of all time, it had to pour when you finally made your visit there 😦
Look on the bright side – at least, I did not get to spend any money…and did not end up buying lots to eat and will not stack up more calories. Hehehehehehe!
Yeah, I don’t fancy visiting night markets for the very same reasons as yours! I’ll rather go to morning wet markets, hehe…
But over here, it’s normally once a week at a ‘taman’.
Ya, I heard it’s like that over there since a long time ago. Not a fan of the wet markets either – if I simple have to go, I would go early in the morning when it is cooler and there are not so many people.
“The rain came pouring down VERY heavily” , i read this now, and it is heavy pouring and loud thunder outside too!!!
I love pasar malam, love the food, but hardly go now, after the case (bag being slitted), i have phobia.
Eyew chang koi not sure is it same as here. But you said it put it in a metal bowls? Over here there is something like this too, put in metal bowls, they will pour sauce and on top put the chai bor, nice, i like. The or koi look very good, i love or koi.
Now i remember i have not been to Sibu pasar malam before, my mum always don’t want to go. I should check that out next time. Didn’t know they sell oink oink parts like that too, very interesting, but i don’t eat.
That happened over where you are, not here. You always dress to kill, nice fashionable clothes, carry designer handbags…of course lah!!! Dress like me, so poor and go there – everyone will run away, afraid that I would rob them. Muahahahahaha!!!!!
It is a nice and interesting place to visit – some of the things are nice…some very nice but when I think of the heat and the crowd and the parking, I would just decide to give it all a miss…plus they open too late – too full already after dinner to eat much else, not so nice to keep and eat the next day.
I love seeing the market pics! Neat stuff! Even if I don’t eat the meats and seafoods – I like to see the different booths and tents and such!
This is what we call the night market. No raw stuff, all cooked food but a wide range to choose from…and other things like clothes and accessories. I prefer those over at your side though, like the farmers’ markets. Nicer to browse around in the pleasant cool weather unlike what we have to put up with here.